


The Great Set Up of Christmas 2016

by Mustang_Girl16



Series: Avengers at Christmas Time [3]
Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Christmas Fluff, Christmas Kiss, F/M, Mistletoe, The Nutcracker
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-15
Updated: 2016-12-17
Packaged: 2018-09-08 19:50:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,410
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8858518
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mustang_Girl16/pseuds/Mustang_Girl16
Summary: Tony makes a bet with Clint that he can set up Steve and Natasha by midnight on Christmas Eve.Only Problem: Christmas is in 12 days and it seems like the spy and the soldier are perfectly content with how things are. Has Tony bitten off more than he can chew?





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> These are meant to be one Shots so... new series within a series!  
> And yes I'm well aware it's only ten days till Christmas, but I don't care! These are going to be relatively short chapters or well as short as I can make them, as I am a long winded person.  
> Disclaimer: these characters are sadly not mine, it'd be cool though!

It was December and the New Avengers were all gathered in the kitchen discussing what it was they should have for dinner when none other than Clint Barton walked in. This was the first time he’d been back since Nathaniel was born, so everyone was more than happy to see him, and the baby pictures he’d brought along. Soon Stark had joined the group commenting on the newest Barton.

“Nope. Still not convinced.” Said Tony as he was looking at the families Christmas pictures.

“Believe whatever you want, but Laura is my _wife_ and those three ‘smaller agents’ are my children.” The archer joked as he took back the phone. Just as he did he took a moment to really look around, only now noticing some people were missing. “Hey so where’s the supposed co-leaders of this rag-tag group?”

“Oh them. Probably getting all hot and sweaty on the gym floor.” Tony replied nonchalantly taking a sip of his coffee, while Clint almost choked on his.

“What?!” Clint choked out, eyes wide.

“Tony.” Wanda warned. As the engineer smirked into his drink. She turned back to the archer as she said, “Their working out in the gym.”

“Oh come on! That can’t be the only thing their doing!” Tony protested.

“Why would you think that?” Clint asked, turning to Sam as he heard the other man start chuckling.

“How can’t we! Oh come on, your Natasha’s best friend and you’re saying you don’t see it?” Sam said. Clint glared at him before responding.

“If you’re referring to the banter they have a tendency to do then yes I see it, but that’s just how Nat communicates.”

“When was the last time you saw either of them together in one place?” Rodney asked. “Cause whatever banter they had, has turned into full out flirting,”

“And the suggestive glances,” Same adds.

“Oh and the cuddling!” came Tony.

"I will say it does appear as though they cannot stay away from each other." Said Vision.

“Point and case.” Tony nodded.

“Ok…that’s…ok.” Clint was taking in this new information and now that he thought about, she did seem different. More content than anything.

“Yes well, that means nothing, since both have denied it.” Wanda said from her perch on the counter.

“You’ve asked?” they all nodded to Clint.

“There both too stubborn to admit anything, though you would think Steve would have learned from the last time, and Natasha’s well…Natasha.” Tony said as he refilled his coffee for what must have been the third time since Clint had arrived.

“I don’t think it’s that Steve hasn’t learned, I think it has to do with being professional.” Said Rodney as he gave a tired look to his best friend, almost like this was a common subject of their everyday conversations.

“And Natasha. She’s to…” Sam tossed an apple back and forth looking for the right words. “…emotionally constipated.”

“She’s…” Clint tried to come up with a good way to describe his best friend and her poor handling of feelings. “…well she, it’s…when it comes to things like relationships and her own feelings she just doesn’t know what to do with them. She’s been taught they were useless and-”

“-love is for children?” Tony finished with a knowing look. “Yeah, well as much as I love watching the two of them stick to whatever it is they are it needs to end.”

“Come on man. You would rather they hate each other?” Sam asked.

“What?! No! But the tension needs some resolving. The amount that has built up over the last 3 years is ridiculous.” Tony paused and thought for a moment before continuing,

“What the real problem is, is that Spangles doesn’t want to get into anything with Red unless she feels the same and for Natasha, it’s not that she thinks feelings like love are useless-and don’t say it’s not, because it is-she just doesn’t think she’s good enough for him, and therefore keeps trying to set him up with every available female on the planet and that brings us back to Capsicle and his not wanting to get into anything if she doesn’t want him, even though she clearly does.”

“Wow. That was deep.” Sam said.

“Yeah that sounds about right.” Said Clint with a sad nod of his head.

“Why would Ms. Romanoff not think herself good enough for Captain Rogers?” asked Vision.

“Simple. He’s America’s golden boy and Natasha, Natasha’s an ex-KGB assassin with a ledger covered in blood-her words not mine.” Tony had a point.

“But does she really think Captain Rogers would be willing to work with her if he cared about her past transgressions?” Vision was now thoroughly confused.

“Exactly, which is why we’re going to help them see it.” Clint looked at Tony, who was now wearing his “I’m going to stick my nose where it doesn’t belong look”.

“Do you have a death wish?” Clint asked, but Tony only shrugged.

“Think about Katniss, its Christmas time! This is the best time of year to set people up!” Tony was excited, he’d just finished up his last project and now he had a new one.

“Look as much as I’d love to see Natasha happy, it has to be something she comes to realize _on her own_.” Clint emphasized.

“I have to agree with Clint,” said Wanda. “As much as I would love to see them together, nothing you do could possibly bear the results you desire.”

“That sounds like a challenge.” Tony said his smile turning devious.

“Tony, no. That was not a challenge.” Rodney tried to say.

“Give me till midnight on Christmas Eve and those two will be kissing under the mistletoe.” Tony challenged. “Who’s with me?”

Vision, Rodney, and Sam all looked at each other, than at the genius. “All right. I’m in.” said Sam.

“Count me in to. Someone’s gotta make sure we don’t have another Christmas of 2013.” Said Rodney.

“I’m just going to pretend you didn’t say that. Vision what do you say?”

“According to my calculations, today being December 12 you have little more than twelve days to fulfill this challenge and the odds are not in your favor.”

“So he’s with Katniss.” Clint rolled his eyes at Tony, but he had to agree, this would be interesting.

“Alright, you want to get killed by Nat that’s fine. But might as well make this interesting.”

“Same old same old or something new?” Tony asked.

“Well since I know have three kids, I really can’t do same old same old, so let’s go new.”

“Losers have to dress up like a rocket at the Stark New Year’s Eve Party. All night, and the chorus line!” Tony was really doing for embarrassment, but Clint knew Natasha and sadly that meant he knew the chances of Tony’s plans working in the time frame he gave himself, were slim to none. Maybe a few months of plotting and planning, but not 12 days.

“Deal.” Tony and Clint shook hands.

And thus The Great Set up of Christmas 2016 began.


	2. The Nutcracker

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Who doesn't love the Nutcracker?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok so here's the first installment. The idea I used was the Nutcracker at the New York City Ballet. If you guys have any ways you want to see Tony try and set them up let me know. Just comment after you read. As always love to hear feed back!  
> Disclaimer: I do not own these characters they belong to Marvel.

“Alright gang, we have twelve days to get Steve and Natasha to kiss. What do you got?” Tony asked as he turned to look at Rodney and Sam, he noticed Wanda and Vision also were present.

“What are you two doing here?” Tony asked pointing a finger between the two.

“Mr. Barton asked that we keep an eye on you.” responded Vision in his perfect English accent.

“He just wants to make sure you do not do anything unethical.” Wanda clarified.

“I swear he has no faith in me.” Tony said in dismissal of the two watchers. “As I was saying, any ideas?”

“Well we could put out mistletoe around the compound.” Said Sam as he picked up the small bunch on Tony’s work space.

“Yeah, let’s just say last time I tried something like that, there was a rise in sexual harassment complaints to HR, and Pepper made me promise never again. So…” Tony plucked the poisonous plant from Sam’s hand and promptly threw it into the trash can.

“Ok, well you’re the genius behind this bet so any ideas?” Rodney asked.

“As a matter of fact I do!” Tony pulled out two tickets from his back pocket and held them up before the group. “Behold!”

“Tickets?” Sam asked.

“Not just any tickets. These are the sold out tickets to tonight’s performance of the Nutcracker at the New York City Ballet.”

“And?” Rodney asked still confused.

“And Natasha loves the ballet.” Wanda answered.

“She does? Huh. Ok so what’s the plan?” Sam said.

“I’m going to make up an excuse like, ‘I bought them for me and Pep, but know we can’t go’ suggest he should take a friend…” Tony explained to the group.

“Ok, but how do we know he’ll take them?” Rodney had a point, but why wouldn’t he? Steve liked Natasha, so he had to know she would love to go see the show.

“Don’t worry he will.” The group exchanged a look, as the engineer stood in front of them with a broad smile on his face.

* * *

“Steve! Just the man I was looking for.” Tony walked over to Steve, who was sitting at the kitchen counter on his Stark pad, and patted him on the back.

“Alright, what’s the damage and will it require HR?” Steve asked as he set down his tablet and took in the other man, clearly looking for any sings of injury.

“What? Oh! Why do I have to have caused an accident to be looking for you?” Tony’s smile was bright and encouraging which only made Steve more suspicious.

“Because every time you come in with that look on your face it’s either you broke something or you want something.” Ok Steve had a point. He did do that…a lot. Tony’s expression changed to one of mock hurt as he threw his hand over his chest dramatically.

“Well I’m hurt.” Steve just glared at him. “Ok, for once I’m here because I wanted to know if you’d like two tickets to tonight’s performance of The Nutcracker at the New York Ballet. I was going to go with Pepper, but we got sucked into a last minute Holiday party being thrown by one of SI’s investors so…”

Steve looked at the tickets that Tony placed on the counter in between them. “You know if you want to. You like art and the ballet is just another form of art, you can even take a friend.”

“There non-refundable I take it.” Tony nodded his head in agreement, he knew just how much Steve hated it when he wasted things. “As much as I would love to, I’ve got a last minute mission in the morning-”

“-In the morning!” Tony interrupted. “You don’t actually need that much sleep anyway and knowing you, you already have the mission planned out. Go out Steve! Have a nice evening for once.”

“I have nice evenings.” Steve crossed his arms over his chest defensively.

“That’s not the point, come on! It’s completely sold out, and if you don’t take them, then there will just be two empty seats in a supposed to be sold out show. How’s that fair?” Tony was really laying it on thick.

“Who would I even take?” _Man Steve was being difficult today._

“I don’t know. Why not Natasha? Doesn’t she like these things?” ok so maybe it wasn’t the most subtle approach but…

“Yeah she does, but I don’t-”

“Steve stop making excuses. You and Red both haven’t taken a night off in months.” Steve was glaring at him again. “Take it! Have a nice night. Clear your heads, it’s always good to have a clear head before a mission, and-”

“Alright!” Steve said as he snatched the tickets from the counter. “I’ll go see if Nat wants go-but only if it’ll shut you up.” Tony nodded his head again and continued.

“Hurry up the Show starts in three hours! Dress nice, that means a suit!”

* * *

Tony ran back to lab asking FRIDAY where Natasha was and to pull up the security feed. When he entered the lab, the others were already staring at the screen watching.

“So he took the tickets?” Sam asked.

“Yup. Took some convincing and a little bit of guilt but he took them. Now shush!” Everyone looked back at the screen. Natasha was training in the gym and seemed to be a little too focused on the punching bag in front of her, but Tony dismissed it.

Steve entered the gym and called out Natasha’s name as he approached her.

“Nat.” Nothing. “Nat!”

_Damn_ she was probably wearing her new Bluetooth ear piece things. They were surprisingly good at blocking outside noise. As Steve got closer he could hear the music blasting from the small ear pieces and tried calling her again.

“Natasha!” He was right behind her now and placed his hand on her on the arm. Natasha apparently hadn’t heard him, or sensed he was behind her, because next thing he knew Natasha spun around kicking him square in his man hood.

Everyone gasped as the watched Steve nearly collapse on the floor in pain. Natasha threw her hands over mouth, before quickly ripping out the ear pieces and going towards Steve.

“Oh my god Steve! Are you ok?” Steve wouldn’t meet her eyes, and just gasped a breath in before nodding.

“Yup.” He let a pained laugh escape his lips as he tried to stand up straight.

“Why in the hell did you sneak up on me like that?” She asked, grabbing his arm to help steady him.

“I wasn’t! I called your name, but you weren’t answering. Did ya really have to aim south?” he asked still trying to even out his breathing. Natasha grimaced as she realized her mistake.

“I thought it was Stark or Barton behind me. I was aiming for the midriff. I’m so sorry Steve.”

“It’s, its fine.” Steve waved off. He was now upright, but still clearly in pain.

“What you got there?” Natasha asked, referring to the tickets in his hand. Steve let out another pained laugh, this one though was accompanied with a small smile.

“Tony, uh, gave me tickets for a show tonight, said we both need to get out for a night.”

“What show?” she asked as she took the tickets from his hand.

He laughed again as he said, “The Nutcracker.”


End file.
